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Free Screenings of Contemporary South American Cinema at USC April 5-7

April 5-7, another set of free film screenings open to the public at the USC School of Cinematic Arts will be showcasing recent cinema from South America. These films aren’t the most recent coming from South America and I’ve seen quite a few of them already, but from dramas to comedies to horror, this series is a good representation of the different genres of quality film and diverse stories coming from South America cinema. You can click on the film titles in the lineup to RSVP.

I’ve seen this one and it’s a slow-paced story of a woman, poignantly portrayed by Magaly Solier, deeply affected by her mother’s suffering during Peru’s Civil Wars and her passing. Like many of these films, it offers a look at the wide and growing gap between the privileged and the poor.

One of the most powerful and influential films coming from Brazil, in the tradition of City of God, it skirts the line between exposing and glamorizing the violent tactics of the militarized police created to confront drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro. I’ve seen it multiple times and would love to watch it again on the big screen.

I feel the followup sequel to Elite Squad is even more superior as the film explores the levels of violence and corruption to the very upper echelons of the Brazilian government itself. The film is the top grossing movie in South American history.